A care recruitment agency fined £10,000 for employing an illegal worker has said the staff member used a 'false identity'.

Share 2 Care, in New Milton, has issued a statement after being listed in the Government's quarterly round-up of companies that have had penalties for using illegal workers.

The agency, in Trevone Herbert Road, recruits staff for care homes for the elderly and those with learning disabilities.

A spokesperson for the company said the incident took place in February 2022.

They said it concerned one applicant who had used “false identity and documents during compliance proceedings”.

The spokesperson added: “We discovered his intentions a few weeks into the process and we were fully confident that it was his documents but later discovered he wasn't really who said he was.

“Unfortunately, we had already placed him at a certain care home and (the Home Office) contacted us concerning the candidate in question.

“He was withdrawn from the service immediately and we were advised to improve on our compliance and recruitment process.

“We have since improved our services and been operating well ever since.”

The company said the incident happened while the company was being established.

The Home Office releases the data into the public record four times a year, and the latest data relates to the period of January to March 2023.

The government website says: "You can be sent to jail for five years and pay an unlimited fine if you’re found guilty of employing someone who you knew or had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ did not have the right to work in the UK."